Botanical classification: Prunus persica. 
In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, I, the inventor, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of nectarine tree, which has been denominated varietally as xe2x80x98GIANT PEARLxe2x80x99. The present variety was hybridized by me in 1994, grown as a seedling on its own root in my greenhouse, and transplanted to a cultivated area of my experimental orchard at Bradford Farms near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). The variety was developed as a first generation cross using xe2x80x98Summer Brightxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,049) yellow flesh nectarine as the selected seed parent and an unnamed white flesh nectarine seedling as the selected pollen parent. This unnamed pollen parent was previously developed as a first generation cross between xe2x80x98Bradcrimxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,461) white flesh nectarine and xe2x80x98August Redxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,363) yellow flesh nectarine. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of nectarine tree, I asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of xe2x80x98Nemaguardxe2x80x99 rootstock (unpatented) upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is similar to its selected seed parent, xe2x80x98Summer Brightxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,049) nectarine, by producing nectarines that are globose in shape, firm in texture, clingstone in type, and almost full red in skin color, but is very distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon by producing fruit that is white instead of yellow in flesh color, that is subacid instead of acid in flavor, and that matures about seventeen days later.
The present variety is similar to one of its selected pollen grandparent, xe2x80x98Bradcrimxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,461) nectarine, by producing nectarines that are white in flesh color, almost full red in skin color, and subacid in flavor, but is quite distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon by producing fruit that is much larger in size, that is firmer in texture, that is clingstone instead of freestone in type, and that matures about one month later.
The present variety is similar to its other selected pollen grandparent, xe2x80x98August Redxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,363) nectarine, by producing nectarines that are clingstone in type, almost full red in skin color, and firm in texture, but is quite distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon by producing fruit that is white instead of yellow in flesh color, subacid instead of acid in flavor, and that matures about twenty days earlier.
The present variety is most similar to xe2x80x98Fire Pearlxe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,358) nectarine by producing white flesh clingstone nectarines that are firm in texture, mostly red in skin color, and sweet subacid in flavor, but is distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon by having reniform instead of globose leaf glands, by having a small non-showy instead of large showy blossom, and by producing nectarines that are much larger in size and mature about ten days later.